When the balance between performance and cost is shifted toward performance, the result might be the Hot Rod.

Value is still a key issue, but affording enough CPU and GPU performance for smooth gaming at 1920×1080 and 1920×1200 resolutions is easily done in the Hot Rod. This update continues performance gains on the GPU side while taking a slight downgrade on the CPU for significant cost savings with only a modest performance hit.

The Hot Rod is also a quick GPU downgrade and monitor change into a more focused computing box (Video encoding? Photoshop? A few VMs?), and there's room for a CPU upgrade if needed. Going SLI/Crossfire is somewhat beyond the scope of the Hot Rod, but slight adjustments to the motherboard and power supply are discussed should you want something closer to Ars' occasional Performance Gaming Box.

In a significant change for the Hot Rod, we go micro ATX. Most builders find micro ATX is still ample expansion, and the reduced flexibility from a smaller box is no longer the significant impact it once was.

CPU

Intel Core i5-4570 retail

Intel's 4th generation Core i-series processors (codenamed Haswell) offer welcome improvements in IPC (instructions per clock) and in platform power consumption over the previous third-generation (Ivy Bridge) parts. AMD's existing Piledriver chips have a hard enough time competing with Ivy Bridge, and Haswell only furthers Intel's advantage. Heavily multithreaded applications let AMD chips such as the FX-8350 stay competitive, but in applications that favor single-threaded performance (including most games) Haswell is on top. Add in power consumption and things look even more in Intel's favor—just as they have the past few generations.

The one crowd not happy about Haswell (or Ivy Bridge, for that matter) is extreme overclockers. Neither seems to overclock as easily as Intel's 2nd generation Core i-series (Sandy Bridge), but generational improvements in power consumption and IPC mean that for the majority of would-be overclockers, the Haswell-based i5-4670K is still the way to go.

An additional note for builders worried about virtualization performance: Intel's K-suffixed CPU models, intended for overclocking, have Intel VT-d disabled. Builders specifically focused on optimal virtualization performance will want to stick with the regular Haswell CPUs, such as the i7-4770 and i5-4670. Keep in mind that most Hot Rod builders are unlikely to notice the performance difference under most use.

Some may have noticed Intel's high-end desktop/workstation-targeted Ivy Bridge-E processors occupying the LGA2011 socket, which pack quad memory channels, up to six cores, and significantly more PCI-e connectivity. The Core i7-4690X and its brethren are very quick but are also serious overkill for the Hot Rod, where the newer Haswell-based quad cores provide similar (if not superior) performance in typical desktop and gaming applications for a much lower platform cost (motherboard/CPU/memory). The extra PCI-e connectivity's performance benefits do not show in typical enthusiast use, at least according to limited (yet extensive) testing done by Anandtech.

A somewhat forgotten detail by many is the heatsink. We buy the retail boxed processor for the three-year warranty and the included heatsink, which does just fine for normal use at stock clock speeds.

Overclockers may wish to look at aftermarket heatsinks such as the fairly affordable Cooler Master Hyper 212+ and Silverstone AR01. The Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120M and 140 occupy the midrange for those who need more performance and can spend a little more. The higher-end Phanteks PH-TC14PE, Thermalright Archon, Noctua NH-D14, and Noctua NH-U14S are all top heatsinks intended for serious overclockers. Those seeking beyond what air cooling can provide should be looking at high-end, dual-fan-radiator water cooling (particularly the Swiftech H220), although the primary weakness of additional performance with many closed-loop water cooling setups is often significantly more noise.

While the Core i5-4670K is unlocked (for overclockers) and packs a slightly faster 3.4GHz base/3.8GHz turbo, we opt to step down to the i5-4570, which is locked and sports slightly slower 3.2GHz/3.6GHz clocks. Anandtech and other sites show very small performance differences between the two at stock clocks, and the extra money is probably better spent on a faster GPU.

Motherboard and memory

Asus H87M-E motherboard

Crucial (2x 4GB) DDR3-1600 1.5v CL9 memory

Another area of value for the Hot Rod is found with the motherboard, where stepping down to the more affordable H87 chipset saves a fair bit of money. Should one be going with an unlocked CPU (such as the i5-4670K or i7-4770K) and need an overclocking-friendly Z87-based board, there are a plethora of choices from virtually every major motherboard maker.

While the H87 chipset is not quite as flexible as the Z87 chipset in terms of PCI-e lane options, it still allows either a single x16 or a dual x8 configuration for SLI/Crossfire. Six native SATA 6Gbps ports and six native USB 3.0 ports round out the bulk of Haswell's connectivity options. Virtually all desktop motherboards today include gigabit Ethernet, 7.1 channel audio, and all the other essentials as well.

AMD builders have the AMD 970, 990X, and 990FX chipsets to choose from, essentially respins of the previous 800-series chipsets for Socket AM3+, although finding suitable micro ATX boards is difficult at best. The excellent Asus M5A99X R2.0 EVO and M5A97 R2.0 are well worth looking at, although potential Hot Rod builders should be aware they are both standard ATX-sized motherboards.

The Asus H87M-E is a well-equipped motherboard despite its affordable price. It has four DDR3 memory slots, one PCI-e 3.0 x16 slot, three PCI-e 2.0 x1 slots, six SATA 6Gbps ports, four rear-panel USB 3.0 ports plus headers for two more internally, two rear-panel USB 2.0 ports plus headers for six more internally, Realtek ALC887 7.1 sound, gigabit Ethernet, and plenty of other goodies. The MSI H87M-G43 is a solid alternative, but it's a little lighter on USB 3.0 ports.

Stepping up to the higher end (and the overclocking-friendly Z87 chipset), the Asus Z87-Pro nets better sound (ALC1150), fancier VRMs, more USB ports, and additional PCI-e x16 slot flexibility in an ATX form factor. The Asus Z87M-Plus is a capable micro ATX board, while the MSI Z87-G45 Gaming and or Asus Z87-Plus are standard ATX alternatives that are a little more affordable.

Memory is easy. 8GB (2x 4GB) of DDR3-1600 at JEDEC-spec 1.5v is cheap and affordable from any major name brand. The trivial cost increase over 4GB is far easier to justify in the Hot Rod than it is in the Budget Box, especially because the typical Hot Rod user may actually see some benefit from it. As tempting as a jump to DDR3-1866 or to 16GB (or both) is, the lack of tangible benefit atop the additional cost makes it a little hard to justify as our default recommendation.

Video

Gigabyte Radeon R9 280X 3GB

Due to manufacturing limitations, expectations for this round of GPU updates were considered modest at best.

But again, AMD went ahead and surprised everyone with its release, codenamed Hawaii. Nvidia was quick to respond with price cuts and a high-end GPU refresh, but AMD got even more aggressive with prices and performance.

The old Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition got a price cut and a rebadge into the R9 280X. At its shiny new lower price point, this has proven to be a tremendous value, edging out both the Geforce GTX 760 and GTX 770. This meant a much more significant performance jump than expected for the Hot Rod in this update. We'll never complain about more performance!

We continue to advise builders to check the games they plan to play and see which card suits them best. The differences between AMD and Nvidia do vary between titles, making blanket recommendations difficult. Power consumption is also something to keep an eye on, as this round of GPU updates unfortunately lacks any significant manufacturing improvements. This means that existing silicon has been pushed a littler harder at the expense of power.

Hot Rod builders aiming for beyond 1920×1080 and 1920×1200 resolution will probably benefit from faster video cards, although current Hot Rod GPUs will probably satisfy many at 2560×1440. For a reasonable bump, the Radeon R9 290 is easy to recommend. The most demanding gamers—targeting 2560×1440 or 2560×1600 with the details cranked up or triple-monitor surround setups of 5760×1080 or more for others—make higher-end cards such as the Geforce GTX 780 and Radeon R9 290X a possible route. Onboard memory beyond 2GB at such high resolutions begins to make a performance difference as well, and high-end, multi-GPU setups in SLI/Crossfire also earn mention (although the possible permutations get a little beyond the Hot Rod).

When selecting a specific card, pay attention to rebates and clock speeds. Considerable variation can be found as factory overclocked cards abound in both camps, so often a little extra performance can be squeezed for no extra money. Cards with more quiet/efficient heatsink/fans than the reference design, such as Asus' DirectCU II, are often worth a little more as well depending on your noise tolerance (some reference coolers, such as Nvidia's latest high-end setup, are superb). For Nvidia cards, price differences between 2GB and 4GB versions are worth watching, although at typical Hot Rod gaming resolutions there is generally little performance benefit. Additionally, be aware of card lengths: longer graphics cards will not fit into some cases. The typical Hot Rod video card is short enough to avoid this issue, but the higher-end cards or cards with unusually long PCBs or massive coolers may cause issues in poorly designed chassis.

Sound, communications

Network card: None (on-board)

Sound card: None (on-board)

Onboard sound and gigabit Ethernet work well enough for almost all Hot Rod users.

Those seeking more can look at the Asus Xonar DSX or slightly higher-end Xonar DX for audio, but the list of alternatives is fairly short at the moment. Some staunchly recommend either of the two cards above, while others see less benefit. A third group finds that the benefits are outweighed by the driver headaches. Those wishing to see hard numbers may find Tech Report's review to be very useful.